1137th Non-Existent Counterattack

At 5 o'clock in the evening that evening, the German positions on the southern outskirts of Moscow were still silent. Stalin stipulated that the time for Zhukov to launch a final counterattack had come, but apparently the Zhukov group did not execute this order, and even opened fire to deal with this order. No idea.

The battle did not break out during dinner, and both sides were preparing their evening meals. The food of the Germans was much better than that of the Soviets. Some troops even received dehydrated peas and some dried vegetable leaves. Everyone talked and laughed in their trenches, cheering for the increasingly comfortable front-line life.

There is no decent food in the Soviet Union, at least in places far away from Moscow, such as the Zhukov cluster, there is no decent food. Most soldiers only have some poor "Lieba" as food, and a few troops only have some moldy and expired food to eat.

In the afternoon, the German army concentrated all kinds of artillery and used a full 60 Friedrich rocket launchers to conduct a firepower raid on the positions of the Soviet defenders. The artillery fire in the sky lasted for half an hour like a torrential rain. After falling down, some positions of the Soviet army were completely destroyed by this round of fierce artillery fire, so that in the end Zhukov had to order the abandonment of these unrecognizable places.

"However, Comrade Marshal Zhukov...we did not carry out the order to attack, but instead gave up some defensive positions. If Comrade Stalin knew...our situation would be dangerous." The chief of staff held his teacup and said to himself His boss, the last hope of the Soviet Red Army, Marshal Zhukov said.

Zhukov looked at the map of the war zone that he had scrutinized countless times, and watched one after another the place names that he kept in his heart become German occupied areas, and he felt even more sad. He pointed to the thick arrows representing the German troops on the map, and sighed helplessly: "I have said it a long time ago, counterattack will only make us perish faster. Use limited troops in urban street fighting Detaining the enemy is what we should do now."

"But, Comrade Marshal, Stalin's last emissary has left us with an ultimatum, telling us that if we do not attack tonight, then Stalin will send someone to replace us, and we will be arrested and hanged." .” The chief of staff leaned on his chair and said.

Zhukov laughed loudly. After he laughed twice, he turned to his chief of staff and said in a very humorous tone: "Who will replace me? If Comrade Stalin can find a replacement for me among his trash He will have someone arrest us two days ago. Who is willing to be in my position at this time? I'm afraid no one is willing, right?"

Sure enough, in the underground bunker in Moscow, far away from here, Stalin was furious because Zhukov refused to carry out his orders. In front of a group of generals and officials, Stalin threw his beloved pipe, and then furiously cursed Zhukov, like Chuikov, is a wolf without a conscience.

"Bastard! This is a betrayal of me! A betrayal of the great motherland and his oath! Why doesn't he attack? Does he want to watch me be killed in Moscow?" After confirming that Zhukov did not lead his remaining After the news that the remnants were defeated and would attack the German army,

Stalin slammed the table and shouted to a group of military advisers and officials.

"Comrade Stalin, this is Zhukov's personal betrayal of the entire Soviet Union! I suggest that he should immediately lose his rank as Marshal of the Soviet Union, and then find someone to take over the troops under his command, and lead these troops to attack the German army to ease the pressure on Moscow's front !” A military adviser looked at Stalin, who was in a trance in front of him, and finally suggested.

Not all people in high positions are really capable people. Sometimes these little people who have reached the top through special periods, the only thing they know is how to frame others. Once the situation becomes out of their control and expectation, they will lose their footing, and even the most basic principles will be forgotten because of panic.

"So, you go to replace Zhukov?" Vatutin, who had been standing on Stalin's left hand, obviously had real skills. He raised his eyebrows after hearing this suggestion, and stared at the nonsense fool with a pair of cold eyes. I can't wait to kick him in the past to make him shut his mouth forever.

"I...Of course I can't, but there are still many good generals..." The general also knew that he had said something wrong, and his voice became smaller and smaller, but he still didn't want to lose himself in front of Stalin. In order to save face, he finally contradicted Vatutin in a low voice, and then closed his mouth wisely.

Before Vatutin had the opportunity to continue speaking, his words were interrupted by Stalin. Now this nominal leader of the entire Soviet Union is a little in a trance, speaking with the accent of his hometown, and if he is unclear, he must listen carefully to be able to distinguish: "General Vatutin, what do you mean, Zhukov is in his hometown?" Is it irreplaceable in the army? This is Li Shantou's behavior! This is treating the army of our motherland as his own private army!"

At this time, it is still hated. Could it be said that if Zhukov, who is good at fighting, is really hanged, and then replaced with an idiot, can the situation of the battle be changed? Vatutin glanced at Stalin, who was in a fit of anger, and for a moment doubted whether his choice was correct. He didn't know how long he could persist, and what reason he could find among this group of defeated people to persevere.

"Attack! Attack! Zhukov's troops launched a counterattack in the southwest region!" An officer glanced at General Vatutin, whose face was already gloomy like Li Kui, and felt that the atmosphere in the room was very wrong, so he hurriedly opened his mouth. Said: "Zhukov's troops have just begun to attack!"

Everyone looked at this inconspicuous little character in the room, and seemed to be waiting for him to continue speaking: "Before the meeting started, General Zhukov finally tried his best to mobilize the strength of 4 regiments and decided to An attack has been launched in the southwest corner of Moscow City! Check the time, it should have started by now, right?"

His quick wit gave Vatutin a glimmer of hope, and he quickly stood up and said, "Comrade Stalin, Comrade Marshal Zhukov did not refuse your order at all, but because the troops were too scarce to launch a counterattack on time. We will wait In a few hours, you will hear good news about his fight back."

"Then let's wait for him to launch an attack! At least he has been on the front line and is more familiar with the environment than us." The general who was trembling with fright in Vatutin's eyes quickly echoed: "Let's wait for another Hours... No! Wait another two hours! If he doesn't attack, then discuss the matter of replacing him and trying him!"

If you really dare to replace Zhukov, the army may mutiny immediately! At that time, the German army will cover up and enter the city, and you and I will die without a place to die! Vatutin swallowed this sentence, because Stalin on the other side had already said: "Very good! Let's implement this plan!"

With a few hours of delay, Vatutin naturally had a way to deceive Stalin. After he returned to his headquarters, he immediately ordered all the artillery fire, and fought another limited-scale artillery battle with the German army. He wanted to use a non-existent offensive operation and non-existent results to cover up the fact of Zhukov's disobedience.

An hour later, Stalin and his subordinates heard artillery fire from a distant place. The light of fire and the sound of explosions at night made Stalin feel refreshed all over his body. He seemed to have forgotten his order to hang Zhukov, and sent a telegram to reward Zhukov who did not launch any attack. The reason was dumbfounding. He even praised Zhukov for launching the attack on time, repelling the German offensive and reversing the entire Moscow. Bad situation.

In this attack, a whole battalion of Moscow officers fell on the way of the charge. They were all poor people whose spirits were crushed by despair and reality. They voluntarily chose to use their bodies to die for their motherland. These officers took the lead in the charge and fought very tenaciously, even forcing part of the German army back to the vicinity of the Vegachi Cinema.

"I think Stalin is crazy. Why did he reward me, a sinner who didn't obey the order?" Zhukov smiled wryly and threw the telegram of his praise on his desk, complaining to the chief of staff beside him: "He is in the bunker. Li only relies on his voice and a group of idiots to judge the current situation, this is simply making a joke of his own life!"

"I think this is the last way for him to comfort himself." The chief of staff looked at the telegram from the Kremlin office, and then put it on Zhukov's desk: "Now he is more willing to believe lies, believe Those battle plans that are simply impossible ... and don't want to believe that we are telling the truth, don't want to believe that we are still fighting for this country to the last moment."

"Konev just called and said that he was forced to retreat another 4 kilometers in the southern region. Now we don't have to worry about it anymore. Within two days at most, Comrade Marshal, you can move your headquarters to Moscow. Go." The chief of staff said to Zhukov with a hint of sarcasm.

Vasilevsky's troops were also forced back by Guderian's troops in the rear, and the defensive operations behind Moscow were also not going well-now Moscow is almost surrounded, and the encirclement is the Moscow defense zone and Zhukov The cluster has a total of more than 900,000 troops.